Ghooskhor Pandat is One of Netflix India’s Most Anticipated Upcoming Films Which Brings Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee Together

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India’s top court has stepped into a controversy surrounding the Netflix film Ghooskhor Pandat, directing its makers to change the title. The teaser introduces the protagonist as a morally compromised police officer trapped in corruption and conspiracy.

Supreme Court on Ghooskhor Pandat 

The Supreme Court has directed the makers of the upcoming Hindi film Ghooskhor Pandat to change its title as it is ‘denigrative’ of a particular community. A bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna warned the respondent filmmakers that “the Court cannot permit any section of society to be denigrated by the title of this film and other offensive material in the film (if any).”

The film had been announced by Netflix during its Next on Netflix India slate earlier this month. Several social media users have called the title casteist, accusing the makers and the platform of targeting a specific community, and have demanded either a change in the name or a boycott of the film. 

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Ghooskhor Pandat Controversy

The contention was with using the word ‘ghooskhor’, meaning corrupt with pandat, a term for Brahmins or Hindu priests. The immediate backlash saw on-ground protests where effigies of the film's makers, producer Neeraj Pandey and director Ritesh Shah, were burned, along with opposition to lead actor Manoj Bajpayee and the streaming platform Netflix, where the film was supposed to be released.

After an FIR was filed against the film on the directive of UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. The filmmakers have removed the teaser from YouTube.

Filmmaker Responds to the Controversy

Pandey, who has produced and co-written the film, apologised for the hurt caused by the title. "We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings." The filmmaker added that all promotional material for the film, including the first look teaser, has been taken down. "In light of these concerns, we have decided to take down all promotional materials for the time being, as we believe the film should be experienced in its entirety and understood in the context of the story we intended to tell, rather than judged on partial glimpses. I look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon."

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About ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’

Ajay Dkshit, the film's protagonist, a corrupt policeman also known as Pandat, finds himself in a global conspiracy when he attempts to make a lot of money quickly. His attempt to uncover the identity of a critically injured young woman who is thrown out of a moving car in Delhi leads to complicated consequences. The teaser sets the tone for a tense narrative on corruption, conscience, and redemption.

The cast includes Nushrratt Bharuccha, Divya Dutta, Saqib Saleem, Akshay Oberoi, Shraddha Das, and Kiku Sharda in key roles. No release date has been announced.